Westerj Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Hi everybody, Am rebuilding a 9" diff with TractionLock. New 3.50 gears and bearings all around! My question is about the friction materials in the clutch. Stock setup has 4 springs in the block inside the ring gear. Had read that one can also shim the clutches pretty tight and use the side load on the spider gears for the clutch squeeze. This method also reduces the constant preload on the clutch pack. Are there any downsides to skipping the springs and packing the clutch stack? Street car - 68 Mustang 5 speed, 390. Guess if I skip the preload, I wont get much initial locking...will need the spider gear side load to make the pressure that binds Right and left? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westerj Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 Heya buds, Still got the ambulance. still lots to do on that. just figured there were some 9" diff folks around!! Is rust on quarter window (passenger) door a common malady on bullnosers? Has anyone used a pressure washer sandblaster attachment? Have to blast the Ambulance inside.Tip on phosphoric acid that i learned here has been awesome.. Been using that to etch/paint parts. cleans buckets of nuts and bolts, but does strip ANY plating toot sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpin Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Heya buds, Still got the ambulance. still lots to do on that. just figured there were some 9" diff folks around!! Is rust on quarter window (passenger) door a common malady on bullnosers? Has anyone used a pressure washer sandblaster attachment? Have to blast the Ambulance inside.Tip on phosphoric acid that i learned here has been awesome.. Been using that to etch/paint parts. cleans buckets of nuts and bolts, but does strip ANY plating toot sweet. Hi, I don’t no anything about building axles, someone should come along with knowledge and experience. Good that your getting your old ambulance cleaned up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westerj Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 Hi, I don’t no anything about building axles, someone should come along with knowledge and experience. Good that your getting your old ambulance cleaned up! What are common wheelbases ( not track) for 1986 F350? The whole vehicle is > 20 feet long... I cant fit it in my garage, to which my mind thinks.... "gonna need a bigger garage!". Brought up the notion of "garage of my dreams" to wifey.. Looking to the folks from Lancaster, Pa for their garage building skills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzFace2 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 What are common wheelbases ( not track) for 1986 F350? The whole vehicle is > 20 feet long... I cant fit it in my garage, to which my mind thinks.... "gonna need a bigger garage!". Brought up the notion of "garage of my dreams" to wifey.. Looking to the folks from Lancaster, Pa for their garage building skills! If I read your post right you are taking the pre-load out and making it a little tighter right? If so I see it acting more like a locker / spool than a LS (i know gm word). It should still have a "break away" point but it will be at a higher point is all. Had a buddy do the same on a Dana unit in a Jeep but it was used for off road racing only, never on the street so cant say how it would behave. Dave ---- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 What are common wheelbases ( not track) for 1986 F350? The whole vehicle is > 20 feet long... I cant fit it in my garage, to which my mind thinks.... "gonna need a bigger garage!". Brought up the notion of "garage of my dreams" to wifey.. Looking to the folks from Lancaster, Pa for their garage building skills! The crewcab pickup has a wheelbase of 168.4". The regular chassis cab had a 133", 136.8", and 160.8" wheelbase options. And the Supercab had a 155" wheelbase. So, you are having the Amish build your garage? (I realize that there are lots of "English", using the Amish term for non-Amish people, living in Lancaster.) I hear they do excellent work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westerj Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 What are common wheelbases ( not track) for 1986 F350? The whole vehicle is > 20 feet long... I cant fit it in my garage, to which my mind thinks.... "gonna need a bigger garage!". Brought up the notion of "garage of my dreams" to wifey.. Looking to the folks from Lancaster, Pa for their garage building skills! The crewcab pickup has a wheelbase of 168.4". The regular chassis cab had a 133", 136.8", and 160.8" wheelbase options. And the Supercab had a 155" wheelbase. So, you are having the Amish build your garage? (I realize that there are lots of "English", using the Amish term for non-Amish people, living in Lancaster.) I hear they do excellent work. Can't imagine we will find house of her dreams and garage of mine, so we looking at houses with space for my garage.... more likely the solution. Amish folks do seem to have it down. Custom garage for reasonable. Money sounds like a plan!! Machine shop, table saw. A two post lift.... I want it all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Can't imagine we will find house of her dreams and garage of mine, so we looking at houses with space for my garage.... more likely the solution. Amish folks do seem to have it down. Custom garage for reasonable. Money sounds like a plan!! Machine shop, table saw. A two post lift.... I want it all!! That's what we found, you might find a nice house but if it had a shop it wasn't what I wanted. So we found a nice house with room for a shop and built what I wanted. If you really want a lift I'd suggest you have a minimum of a 12' ceiling. Might is slightly less, like 11' 11", and it has been a minor problem. The lift works but it is on the lower of the two settings and has put marks on the ceiling in a couple of places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westerj Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 That's what we found, you might find a nice house but if it had a shop it wasn't what I wanted. So we found a nice house with room for a shop and built what I wanted. If you really want a lift I'd suggest you have a minimum of a 12' ceiling. Might is slightly less, like 11' 11", and it has been a minor problem. The lift works but it is on the lower of the two settings and has put marks on the ceiling in a couple of places. Thanks Gary. Now about that affordable acre in New Jersey.. . Uggh. Think that acre was moved out of state!! Good tip on ceiling height .ty for that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
85lebaront2 Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Many years ago I built a 9" Traction Lock, 4 pinion, 31 spline that was going to go in my 1966 Shelby. I had a good friend at the nearest Ford dealer who got my a 9" 31 spline Detroit Locker (what was supposed to be in the car). The 9" Traction Lock ended up being sold many years later. I have done a few other limited slip units for people including a recent 10.25" Sterling. FWIW, if you don't mind it's idiosyncrasies, and can afford one, get a Detroit Locker or a similar unit, under power it is essentially a locked rear end, in cornering it drives the slowest turning wheel which is where the fun starts, it will lock/unlock with a loud bang, and on the Shelby would jerk the car a bit sideways in doing so. That being said, Shelby was 2800 lbs, nearly 400 hp with a 3.89:1 gear. It was capable of lifting and carrying the front wheels with drag slicks on the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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